This document outlines the process and key components for developing an OECD Recommendation on Gender Equality in Public Life. It discusses timelines for developing the Recommendation through public consultations from January to April 2015 and adoption in fall 2015. The draft Recommendation focuses on three core components: good governance and accountability for gender equality; closing gender gaps in leadership in public institutions through measures like family-friendly policies; and promoting gender equality in public employment through policies like pay equity and flexible work arrangements. Preliminary consultation results identified needs to strengthen provisions on work-life balance, address gender stereotypes, and target barriers to women's decision-making roles.

1. GENDER EQUALITY IN PUBLIC LIFE:
A CRITICAL ENABLER FOR
INCLUSIVE GROWTH
20 April 2015

2. Gender Equality as an enabler of
Inclusive Growth
Women in key decision-making positions and income inequality
Source: OECD Income Distribution Database and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), PARLINE (database).

3. Women ministers and confidence in
national governments (2012)
Source: OECD Inter-Parliamentary Union and Gallup databases.

4. Draft Recommendation on Gender
Equality in Public Life
2014 Report Women,
Government and
Policy-Making in
OECD Countries:
Fostering Diversity
for Inclusive Growth
2014 Global Forum
on Public
Governance
“Women’s
Leadership in
Public Life”
2013 OECD
Recommendation on
Gender Equality in
Employment,
Education and
Entrepreneurship
Decades of
PGC and PEM
work
Draft Recommendation on Gender Equality in
Public Life
Public
Consultation
ELSAC
PGC, PEM,
SBO, PSI, RPC
and Gender
Ministries

5. Stakeholder
consultation on
the draft
Instrument (public
authorities only)
Draft
Recommendation
(internal
consultations)
Ministerial
meeting on
governance
and Council
adoption
What are the timelines for developing the
Recommendation?
Summary
results of the
first
consultation
available to the
Delegates
Open public
consultations
January -
February 2015
March – April
2015
April 2015
Summer 2015
Fall 2015

6. Core components of the draft
Recommendation
I. Good governance and accountability for
gender equality
II. Closing gender gaps in leadership in public
institutions
III. Gender equality in public employment

7. Key
provisions
Whole-of-
government
strategy for gender
equality and
mainstreaming
Institutional
framework and
national strategy
Institutional
capacities
Inclusiveness of
public consultations
Co-ordination,
implementation and
evaluation
mechanisms
Gender impact
assessments and
gender-sensitive
budgeting
Accountability and
oversight
mechanisms
Evidence-base for
gender-sensitive
policy making and
budgeting.
Role of parliaments
and parliamentary
committees
I. Good governance and accountability for
gender equality

8. Key
provisions
Active measures
to close
representation
gaps in public
institutions
Family-friendly
work practices at
the top
Capacity and
leadership
development
Accountability
and workplace
culture
Awareness-
raising and
engagement of
men
II. Closing gender gaps in leadership in
public institutions

9. Key
provisions
Flexibility,
transparency and
fairness of public
employment
systems
Pay equity and
equality
Gender balance in
public
employment Key institutional
roles and
responsibilities for
promoting
gender-balance in
the public service
Management and
executive
accountability
III. Gender Equality in Public Employment

10. Comments from 20 countries and 30
respondents
Need for stronger focus on
family-friendly practices and work-life balance
schemes
addressing gender –stereotypes
targeting root causes of low representation and
barriers to women’s access to decision-making
positions
Preliminary consultation results on
gender equality in public employment

11. • Is there scope to strengthen the employment provisions in public sector
included in the 2013 Gender Recommendation and the draft
Recommendation on gender equality in public life? (e.g., on dual-parent
parental leave? )
• Should the public sector be model-employer with respect to gender and
diversity? Should we hold ourselves to a higher standard? How?
• What contribution can HRM and public management make in
developing inclusive institutions and contributing to inclusive growth?
• What management challenges do today’s increasingly diverse and
multi-generational civil services present, and how are OECD countries
addressing them?
Questions for discussion